Following a 14 day strike by IUF affiliate FNV and its Cargill members across 5 sites in the Netherlands, a new 2-year collective agreement has been reached with the company. A large majority of FNV’s Cargill members voted in favor of the new agreement.
- In the first year of the agreement, FNV Cargill members will receive a pay rise of 100 EUR per month plus a 2 percent structural wage increase on top of Automatic Price Compensation (inflation indexation); in the second year of the agreement, FNV Cargill members will receive a 3 percent structural wage increase, again on top of automatic price compensation
- The Automatic Price Compensation provision in the new collective agreement remains unchanged
- The social plan–implemented in cases of restructuring and other reorganizations–has been extended by 2 years without any reduction in benefits
- Cargill has agreed to carry out random checks of the temporary employment agencies which provide non-permanent workers to Cargill Netherlands; this is to ensure that the agencies are in compliance with the legal obligations arising from the collective agreement
FNV has also thanked IUF affiliates for their messages of solidarity and support during the strike.
FNV Food Industry union official Nurettin Altundal stated, “Strikes of such a duration are not typical in the Netherlands. That said, we are pleased that we were able to reach a good collective agreement with Cargill which provides for wage increases that reflect the important contributions made by those working at Cargill Netherlands during these challenging times.”
